Double-webbed rail wheel



Nov. 6, 1951 H F, FLOWERS 2,574,323

DOUBLE-WEBBED RAIL WHEEL Filed Jan. 20, 1947 5 Sheets-Shree?I l NOV 6, 1951 H. F. FLOWERS DOUBLE-WEBBED RAIL WHEEL 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1947 Nov. 6, 1951 H. F. FLOWERS DOUBLE-WEBBED RAIL WHEEL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 20, 1947 33* www., cemmwfzmf Patented Nov. 6, 1951 formes -DOUBLE-WEBBED RAIL WHEEL `Heiiry`Fort`Flwers, Findlay; Ohio YAmilication January' 20, 194i,` Serial-No. r7 23,-126

v3 Claims.

`flhef-present invention relates to Vrailway -truck wheels, in particular `the small diameter hanged wheels used-in mine cars and-the like.

1According rto my invention `I provide a wheel assembly comprising a -webbed -wheel vrim -pressed on a webbed wheel center to form va-doublewebbed wheel to be mounted-on an 'aXle-or-stub axle.

An object of the invention is to provide-a wheel A with-two widely spaced supporting webs which transmit the pressureY on the tread -from the'rail directly to widely spaced fanti-friction bearings in-the wheel-hub.

Anotherobject of the-invention .is-toprovide a-,rail wheel-assembly in which the rim is held on-the wheel center'or-hub bya frictionalipre'ss t` at-two widely spaced sets of mating cylindrical surfaces.

"Another object of the invention istofprovide a double-webbedwheelr of the above-'type wherein a'web-formed integral'with-the center orhub of the vwheel has a press t -withthe rimtatthefside thereof carrying the rail iiange 'whereby rend thrust fon the hub resisted lby `the angeicontacting with therail tends to tighten the wedge fit between the web and the lrim.

Another object of lthe invention-is t'oprcivi'de a wheel so constructed that newtreadfand an'ge wearing surfaces may be :provided on a Worn wheel withoutthe necessity of V.remac',hiningthe hub of the wheel to 'install vanti-friction bearings.

Another object of "the invention` is to providea wheel structure in which the best suitableinaterials, processes, and heat treatments -maybe selected for the component parts, using Sahard, abrasion resisting steel in thefreplaceabler-imfand afree-,machinin'g steel in the -wheel=' center.

`Another object of the inventionis Vtoizufovide a'wlieel oi two simple component parts,'bothof which can bev economically forged fromstandard steel billets on high-production forgingpresses.

Theseand other objects will in part-"be obvious and will in part be lhereinafter more `rfully Yclisclosed.

-In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a double=webbed lrail `wheel assemblyas'mounted 'in the I frame-@structure of an .axleless truck, the view ybeing a fcross section taken on a' verticaliplanethrough-thecenterline of'V the l-wi'rceh Figure 2 is an isometric AVview, Vv.partially-lci'it away. 'of the wheel yassemrllyxshownfin Figure-i1;

F'Flgure 3 -is an isometric view,-partially1cut away, 'ofawebbed wheelfcenterfand `la webbed (Cl. 29E-(21') 5 2 wheel lrim showing Vthem in their relative position before being zpressed together.

'Figure f4 is a view in-section of a doublewebbed rail wheel assembly which-is a modifica- 5 tion ofthe assembly shown in Figure -1. Y

As-,shown in AFigures 1 andr-a typical wheel assembly consists of a webbed `wheelcenter ion which is fitted a webbed wheel rim 2. The webbed wheel center which -is machined on the-in terior ithereof to provide proper seatsfor antifricticn--bearin-gs,l -isjmounted on a spindle -3 which in `turn-is mounted inthesideframes 4, L-li of the truck. Between the -webbed wheel `center and the;spndle-3are bearings 5,5 of the usual type. 5 These bear-ings are heldv infposition vby a spacing sleeve -6 and yby shoulders 1, 1 vformed on the inner surface of the vwebbedwheel center bymachilling. -Between the bearings and the vside fri-ames of the -truck are .outerf-spacing sleeves 8,--8,du`st-seals 9,-'9and snap ringoil seals-LNH). The entire assembly is 1clam-pecl :in place .by threading-nut ill von---th'e"end of l`spindle-3. This specific -mounting of -the -vwebbed wheel center on the spindleor stub-aX-le-of an '-axleless'ftruck forms no spart' 'of lthe present invention but :is shown-described and fclaimed -in my co-pendng applica-tion `Serial No. $707,822, filed-November '5., 1946.

-The -webbed wheel center I :shown in :section in fFigure` 2 consistsrof a cylindrical .hub 212 with an -integral frim supporting web i3 :which `serves as zone vvTof the webs :supporting 'the tread of the wheel. Exceptfor the manufacture `of afsmall number-of Webbed 4wheel centers, which are in tirati-'case 'more :economical 'to `fabricate by -welding Aa ilange .to "a 'short length 'of tubing, the center :preferably fis fpres's vforged ,from -heated bar :stock-oi freeimachiningfsteel. VBoth .ends of V`the `hub are bored 'to f furnish 'the inner bear- -in'g :sl--ioulders 11. II 7^and vthen the `iweb 'dreun-iterentraiPsuriace IS'Af'andhu'b surface -I`5- are machined to provide surfaces upon which thewebbed'wheel rim bears -in j:frictional -.-engagemen`t. In Caddition "an-'annular Fsurfa'ce I6 is Amachined on the web f3'rto i prov-idears'qu'are `Vplane surface 'aga-'inist whichi-a-I machined .shoulder on the corresponding mating ysuifeu'ae yof the 'webbed wheel 'rim is pressed. l

TIYhe fivebbetiwheelfrim 2, shown in section 'in 50 fingere sa. consists y of a-we-b 'maitre-ad lis, fu'pcn whichthe wheelfrclls, and-ia Bange |59. Like-the i fi wettedV wneelrcenter {fthe-'rim rz :can be 'built fit is preferablylforged'afrom a steel billet. One.

of the reasons for designing the webbed wheel rim with a ange at one side and the web at the other is that it is simpler to forge that shape from a solid billet than one which has the rim and web on the same side of the rim. Another advantage of the particular design shown is that the flange I9 serves to strengthen the inside edge of the rim, while the web I1 serves to support and strengthen the outside edge of the rim. Forging in this manner gives a homogeneous structure and a very desirable direction of grain flow at the junction of the flange I9 with the and abrasion resistance, and the rim can be heat treated after forging to obtain additional hard-- The steel for the webbed ness and wear resisting qualities if necessary.

The entire webbed wheel rim 2 can be hardened,

or a method of preferential hardening such as rim quenching after the final forging operation, or local flame or induction heating followed by quenching can be used to locally harden the Wearing surfaces only of the tread I8 and the flange I9 where they bear against the rail.

The webbed wheel rim 2 has two essentially cylindrical surfaces machined inside to t over the two corresponding cylindrical surfaces on the webbed wheel center I. These are the large diameter inner surface 20, with machined shoulder 2|, which is designed to fit over and against the web I3 of the webbed wheel center, and the smaller diameter surface 22 at the small diameter of the rim web I1, which is intended to t over the corresponding cylindrical hub surface I5.

The large diameter inner cylindrical surface of the webbed wheel rim 2 and the corresponding mating surface I4 on the circumference of the web I3 of the webbed Wheel center I are machined to the proper respective diameters to give a relatively large diametral interference between surfaces 20 and I4, while the small diameter mating surfaces 22 and I5 are machined so that there is only a small diametral interference between them. Choosing the relative ts in this manner puts the heavy press t, and hence the greatest frictional engagement, at the large diameter mating surfaces 20 and I4, where there are not only large areas in contact but also large annular masses of metal in the flange I9 and center web I3 to back up the t with a minimum deection of the hub YI2 at the location of the anti-friction bearings. At the small diameter t, where surface 22 is pressed into position on surface I5, it is desired only to guide the webbed wheel rim during assembly and back up the outer race of the anti-friction bearing directly underneath, and at the same time hold deflection of the outer race during assembly to a minimum. Hence relative diameters are chosen for surfaces I5 and 22 such that only a light press t results at those surfaces.

For assembly of the wheel, webbed Wheel center I and webbed wheel rim 2 are placed in the relative position shown in Figure 3 and forced together' until machined shoulder 2I of the webbed wheel rim bears against annular surface I6 on the webbed Wheel center. The webbed wheel rim 2 is heated if desired in order to reduce the force necessary for assembly. It may bev noted that for ease in assembly it is desirable to machine surface I5 on the webbed wheel center I toa. slightly smaller diameter' over that portion I5a over rwhich the entire width of surface 22Y must pass before reaching its final position.

' rim off from the webbed wheel center.

It will be noted that the web I3 on the web Wheel center I is disposed thereon so as to contact and support the webbed wheel rim 2 at the inside of the rim and in the region of the ange I9. Therefore, when moving along a curved track the end thrust of the load on the webbed wheel center I resisted by the ange I9 contacting with the rail R tends to tighten the wedge t between this web I3 and the rim. End thrust on the web wheel center I in the opposite direction on the same wheel will not be restrained by the flange contacting with the rail and therefore at no time does the end thrust of the load tend to force the It will be further noted that the bearings are so spaced that one of the bearings is substantially in radial alignment with the. web I3 on the wheel center I and the other is substantially in alignment with the web Il of the wheel rim 2. The widely spaced webs thus serve to hold the outer races of the anti-friction bearings to a true circle. When deflection of the outer races is held to a minimum in this way, the load on each bearing may be distributed over a greater number of rollers at a time, and bearing life is greatly increased.

The webbed wheel rim 2, when worn to the point of requiring replacement, is removed from the webbed wheel center I by the reverse of the process of assembly. A new webbed wheel rim is then tted to the webbed wheel center. Compared with the replacement of an entire car wheel, replacement in this manner of the wearing surface alone uses less steel and involves fewer and simpler machining operations.

There are modifications of the wheel as described which maintain the same essential functions of the components. For example, it may be preferable in some cases to machine a limiting shoulder on the webbed wheel center rather than on the rim. In this particular construction, shown in Figure 4, the functions of wheel center web annular surface I6 and wheel rim shoulder 2I shown in Figure 1 are provided by a machined annular surface 23 on the rim web I 'I and a shoulder 24 on the wheel center against which the rim web is pressed. One possible advantage of the construction shown in Figure 4 is that stress concentration effects at the junction of flange I9 and rim I8 may be appreciably reduced by the omission of shoulder 2 I, thereby reducing the possibility of flanges breaking in service.

It is obvious that other minor changes in the details of construction may also be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A double webbed rail wheel comprising a hub and a rim having a rail engaging portion and a rail flange at one side of the rail engaging portion, a rim supporting web integral with the hub and disposed at the flanged side of the rim and adapted to engage said rim at the inner face thereof, a second rim supporting web formed integral with the rim and disposed at the opposite side thereof from said rail fiange, said last named supporting web extending inwardly from the rim and adapted to make contact with said hub, said webs having wedge fitting engagement with the rim and hub respectively.

2. A double webbed rail wheel comprising a hub and a rim having a rail engaging portion and a rail lflange at one side of the rail engaging por'- tion, a rim supporting web integral with the hub and disposed at the flanged side of the rim and 'Il adapted to 'engage said rimv at the inner face supporting web extending inwardly from the rim and adapted to make contact with said hub, said webs having wedge tting engagement with the rim and hub respectively, said wedge fitting parts being shaped and positioned so that the lateral thrust of the load on the hub restrained by the flange on the rim holds the wedge iitting in assembled position.

3. A double webbed rail wheel comprising a hub and a rim having a rail engaging portioi parts and a rail iiange at one side of the rail engaging portion, a rim supporting web integral with'the 15 hub and disposed at the anged side of the rim and adapted to engage said rim at the inner face thereof, a second rim supporting web formed integral with the rim and disposed at the opposite side thereof from said rail ange, said last the lateral thrust of the load on the hub restrained by the flange on the rim holds the wedge fitting parts in assembled position, and means for limiting the extent of wedge tting engagement.

HENRY FORT FLOWERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 302,818 Baker July 29, 1884 369.752 Swartwout Sept. 13, 1887 408,890 Mann Aug. 13, 1889 448,683 Silverthorn Mar. 24, 1891 1,254,557 Witham Jan. 22, 1918 1,466,468 Charter 1 Aug. 28, 1923 1,856,095 Frank May 3, 1932 1,981,953 Frank 1 Nov. 27, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 69.750 Germany 1892 

